Liberals Maintain Lead in the Polls Following the Election in NS

MQO Research’s quarterly poll of 600 residents of Nova Scotia gauged the political temperature in the province for this July edition of the quarterly political poll: Atlantic Matters.

Provincial Politics

According to the latest polling numbers, support for all political parties held steady in July.

  • Among decided and leaning voters:
    • Current Liberal support in the province held steady at 46% in July.
    • PC support was also consistent at 30%.
    • NDP support also held steady at 21%.
  • The undecided/don’t know group fell slightly from 27% in April to 21% this quarter.

Government Performance

Ratings of Premier Stephen McNeil’s leadership rebounded in July. The mean rating increased from 4.7 in April to 5.2 this quarter. Meanwhile, the percentage rating the Premier’s performance a 1-5 (on a 10-point scale) dropped from 62% last quarter to 52% in July.

Provincial Outlook

The public was a little more optimistic about the provincial outlook in July. 18% of respondents felt the general outlook for NS was getting better which was up from 10% in April.

Personal Wellbeing

Residents’ feelings about their personal wellbeing showed some movement in July. 46% rated their level of concern about their cost of living at 8 or higher (on a scale of 1-10) which was down from 54% three months ago. Similarly relatively more felt secure about their current employment with 63% giving a rating of 8 or higher compared to 58% in July. When asked about their general stress level this year, one quarter (25%) gave a rating of 8 or higher.

The Atlantic Matters poll was conducted by telephone from July 4 and July 22, 2017 and included 600 randomly selected eligible voters from across the province. The margin of error for the survey is ± 4.0 percentage points 19 times out of 20. Among decided and leaning voters, the margin of error for the survey is ± 4.9 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

About MQO Research

MQO Research is one of Atlantic Canada’s leading market research firms, providing research insights to clients throughout the region and beyond. Our team includes experts in quantitative and qualitative methodologies and program evaluation. MQO is a Gold Seal member of the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA) and as such subscribes to the highest standards of information gathering and research ethics in the industry in Canada.

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For more information on Atlantic Matters or MQO Research, contact:
Tracey Stephenson
[email protected]
Phone: 506-852-7281
Cell: 506-850-8077